Wrench.



N. SMITH.

WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED IEB.4.1907.

WITNESSES Y ZNVEKVTOR E 501117? I PATENTED MAY v21, 1907.

Al/arney-S NATHAN SMITH, OF STEVENVILLE, MARYLAND.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed February 4, 1907, Serial No. 355,613.

To all whom it new concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stevenville, in the county of Queen Anne and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in\Vrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches and moreparticularly to that class adapted to be used for holding pipes, boltsand similar objects having oblong circular bodies and also for turningnuts and the like, and my object is to provide means for readily andquickly adjusting the movable jaw to regulate the space between themovable and fixed jaws to fit various sized objects.

A further object is to provide means for holding the movable jaw in itsadjusted position. j

A still further object is to provide resilient means for directing themovable jaw into firm engagement with the object disposed between themovable and fixed jaws and a still further object is to provide meansfor securing and positively holding the parts of the wrench in theiradjusted position.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure l is a perspective view of my improved form of wrench showing thesame in its opened position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showingthe parts of the wrench in their adjusted position in full lines and intheir opened position by dotted lines. Fig. 3is a perspective view ofthe resilient adjusting mechanism removed from, the wrench. Fig. 4 is aside elevation partly in section of a wrench showing a slightly modifiedform of resilient adjusting mechanism. Fig. 5 is an elevation partly insection of a slightly different form of wrench and showing parts thereofin position to be adjusted, and, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of themodified form of resilient adjusting mechanism removed from the wrench.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the mainshank of my improved form of wrench, the upper end of which is providedwith a fixed jaw 2 while the extreme lower end thereof is tapered andprovided with a notch 3 which is adapted to be used for various purposessuch as extracting nails or the like. Slidably mounted upon the shank 1is a movable jaw 4 which is provided at one end with a socket 5 throughwhich the shank 1 is disposed, said socket being of proper dimensions tosnugly fit the shank.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings I have shown the jaws 2 and 4 providedwith a plurality of serrations or teeth 6, said teeth being upon. themeeting edges thereof which are adapted to be employed for engagingbodies having round surfaces while in Fig. 4 of the drawings I haveshown the meeting faces of the jaws as smooth so that the same may beemployed upon objects having square or flattened surfaces.

Extending inwardly from the lower edge of the movable jaw 4 is a slot 7,the contour of the upper surface of said slot being slightly curved toreceive the curved end of an auxiliary shank 8, said shank beingpivotally secured within the slot 7 by disposing a rivet 9 through thejaw 4 and upper end of the auxiliary shank S, the curved end of theauxiliary shank being so arranged that when the auxiliary shank isdirected inwardly to hold the movable jaw into engagement with anobject, the curved end will engage the curved surface of the slot 7 anddirect pressure thereagainst.

The lower end of the auxiliary shank is preferably flattened or wedgeshaped so that the same may be used as a screwdriver when desired.

In order to hold the movable jaw in its adjusted position, I provide theinner edge of the shank 1 with a plurality of ledges 10, the bearingsurfaces of which are semicircular in cross section with which isadapted to engage a resilient latch 11, said latch being secured to theauxiliary shank 8 in such a manner 100 that when the auxiliary shank isclosed or directed into engagement with the main shank 1, the jaw 4 willbe moved into firm engagement with the obj eet between the jaws andheld. in this position under pressure and 1c 5 by forming the bearingsurface of the ledges semicircular a lip.10 is formed at the outer edgethereof so that the engaging end of the latch will be held againstcasual displacement from the ledge with which it is engaged. I I o Thelatch 11 is preferablyformed of asingle section of resilient wire, andformed in the shape of a hollow square, the lower horizontal section 11being adapted to engage the ledges 10 while the upper horizontal sectionforms a bearing 1 1 which is directed through a bore in the auxiliaryshank 8 to form a pivotal bearing and extends a suflicientdistancethrough the shank to form a support for a coiled section 12, said coiledsection terminating in an arm 13, the extreme outer end 13 of which islooped around the auxiliary shank 8 to hold said arm substantiallyparallel with the shank and give tension to the latch when the auxiliaryshank is closed. By this construction it will be seen that when thelatch is into engagement with one of the ledges 10 and the auxiliaryshank 8 is moved inwardly, the latch will pivot in the auxiliary shankand the coiled section 12and arm 13 direct the latch against thecontractedledge under tension and cause the jaw 4 to move toward thefixed jaw 2 and into positive engagement with the object upon which thewrench is being employed and holding the auxiliary shank in its closedposition, the coiled section 12 and arm 13 will continuously directpressure against the movable j aw until such time as the auxili aryshankis released. By using this construction of latch I am also enabledto dispense with the springs commonly employed in connection with themovable jaws of wrenches of this class to allow the same to slightlyyield when a reverse movement is given the wrench as the resiliency ofthe latch will permit the movable jaw to yield slightly when the wrenchis given a reverse rotation to obtain a new bite on the object beingturned.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing I have shown the opened position of theauxiliary shank in dot ted lines and the closed position of said shankin full lines and it will be seen that when the auxiliary shank is movedinwardly toward the main shank that the tension on the latch will causethe auxiliary shank and movable jaw secured thereto to move upwardlyunder. pressure, the movement of the several parts coincident to thetension exerted by the coiled section 12 being clearly disclosed bydotted and full lines in said figure.

When applying the wrench into engagement with an object the auxiliaryshank is moved outwardly a sufficient distance to disengage the lowerbar 11 of'the latch 11 from the ledges 10 when the jaw may bemovedupwardly or downwardly to engage an object placed between the movableand fixed jaws and after the movable jaw has been casually moved intoengagement with the object the same may be firmly clamped thereon bymoving the auxiliary shank into engagement with the main shank, thetension of the latch and arm secured thereto being sufficient topositively fix the teeth on the movable and fixed jaws into engagementwith the object and the auxiliary shank may be positively held intoengagement with the fixed shank by means of a substantially L- shapedkeeper 14, the main stem of which is passed through an opening 15 in thefixed shank 1 and is adapted to move longitudinally therethrough so thatwhen theshanks are brought together the extension 15 of the keeper 14may be directed over the auxiliary shank 8 and positively hold the samein its closed position until such time as it is desired to release thewrench from the object. The keeper also serves to limit the outwardmovement of the jaw 4 so that the same will not move entirely from offthe shank 1.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings I have provided a slightly modifiedform of latch and in this instance I preferably form the latch 16 of aflat strip of spring metal, one end of which is seated in a depression17 in the inner face of the auxiliary shank 8 and is secured thereto inany preferred manner as by rivets 18 which are directed through the endof the latch and the adjacent portion of the auxiliary shank 8. The freeend 16 of the latch 16 is curved outwardly from the in ner face of theshank 8 and is adapted to engage the ledges 10 in the shank 1 and thatportion of the latch between the fixed and free end is bent outwardly toform a shoulder 19 againstwhich the auxiliary shank 8 is adapted toimpinge when said shank is in juxtaposition to the main shank 1 therebycausing the latch 16 to exert additional upward pressure on theauxiliary shank 8 and movable jaw 4, the latch 16 being substantiallystraight throughout its length when the auxiliary shank it closed, thepressure upon the shoulder 19 also serving to hold the free end 16firmly into engagement with the ledges 10.

It will now be seen that I have provided a very cheap and economicalform of wrench and one that may be used for turning pipes or otherobjects having round surfaces or nuts and like objects having flatsurfaces. It will further be seen that I have provided means for quicklyadjusting the jaws of the wrench to fit various sized objects and alsofor quickly and positively directing the jaws into engagement with theobject.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrench the combination with a shank having a fixed jaw, amovable jaw on said shank and an auxiliary shank for said movable jaw;of a latch on one shank adapted to engage the opposite shank and directthe movable jaw toward the fixed jaw said latch being yieldable betweenits two ends.

2. In a wrench the combination with a shank having 'a fixed jaw, amovable jaw slidably mounted on said shank, an auxiliary shank pivotallysecured to said movable jaw and resilient means on the auxiliary shankadapted to engage the opposite shank and direct the movable jaw towardthe fixed jaw said means being yieldable between its two ends.

3. In a wrench the combination with a shank having a fixed jaw at oneend, a movable jaw slidably mounted on said shank,

said jaws having teeth thereon, an auxiliaryshank pivotally secured tothe movable jaw, a resilient latch carried by the auxiliary shank andadapted to engage the opposite shank said latch being yieldable betweenits two ends and an arm adapted to hold said latch under tension.

4. In a wrench the combination with a shank, a jaw at one end of saidshank, a plurality of ledges in one edge of said shank, the bearingfaces of which are semicircular, a movable jaw having a slot thereinslidably mounted on said shank, said jaws having teeth on their meetingedges, an auxiliary shank having a curved upper end adapted to entersaid slot, means to pivotally secure said auxiliary shank to the movablejaw, a latch carried by said auxiliary shank one end of which isdirected through the auxiliary shank to form a pivot point for the latchwhile the opposite end thereof is adapted to engage the ledges on themain shank, a coiled. section at the upper end of said latch, an armextending from said coiled section and means to secure the free end ofsaid arm to the auxiliary shank, said latch, coiled section and armbeing formed of a continuous section of material.

5. In a wrench the combination with a shank having a fixed jaw at oneend thereof; of a movable jaw on said shank, an auxiliary shankpivotally secured to said movable jaw, a resilient latch carried by saidauxiliary shank and adapted to engage the main shank said latch beingyieldable between its two ends, means to direct tension on said latchand a keeper carried by the main shank adapted to engage the auxiliaryshank and hold the same in juxtaposition to the main shank.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN SMITH.

Witnesses:

C. S. FRYE, J. E. BURCH.

